Using hand-held cell phones while driving may become illegal if bills that passed a House committee Tuesday become law. / Town Talk file photo

Written by

Gannett Capital Bureau

BATON ROUGE -- Texting or talking on a hand-held cell phone while driving any type of vehicle, from a Mini Cooper to an 18-wheeler, would be illegal if either of two bills approved Tuesday by a House committee become law.

Talking on a hands-free device while driving still would be legal.

The House Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee, by a 12-2 vote, approved HB863 by Rep. Charmaine Stiaes, D-New Orleans.

The bill originally applied only to commercial vehicles but was amended to include any type of vehicle.

The panel also unanimously approved HB1235 by Rep. Austin Badon, D-New Orleans, which deals with any moving vehicles.

"No one has the right to put another person's life in jeopardy," Badon said. Drivers who use hand-held phones are "four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to harm themselves."

Stiaes said passing her bill would put the state in line to receive some of the $94 million in federal funds to be split among states that outlaw the practice and make them primary offenses.

Texting while driving currently is against the law in Louisiana, but police cannot write a ticket unless the driver has committed another offense.

"It's a new carrot dangling out there," Badon said.

Badon's bill carries a fine of not less than $100 for the first violation, not more than $150 for a second

violation, not more than $200 for a third violation, plus court costs.

A fine of not more than $250 for a fourth or subsequent violation could be levied.

Rep. Hollis Downs, R-Ruston, got committee approval to allocate all proceeds from the fines to the Transportation Trust Fund to pay for highway improvements. He said that since it would be new money, it's not taking funds away from any agency.